Devin Booker breaks Suns all-time scoring record
Yesterday at 11:27 PM
Devin Booker has officially made Phoenix Suns history on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers. He secured his 23rd point, officially making him the Suns’ all-time leading scorer. That point surpasses Walter Davis’s mark of 15,666, which has been the record since he established it.
Now, the current franchise shooting guard has broken the record. However, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise. In his ninth season in the league, all of them have been with Phoenix. He’s broken plenty of scoring records. For instance, he has 202 games of scoring 30+ points. He’s the 10th shooting guard in history to reach the mark.
The talent was always there, even with Kentucky basketball. Booker was the sixth man and was coming off the bench. A star-studded roster of Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Andrew and Aaron Harrison, were the starting lineup. The team as a whole went 38-1, with their only loss coming against Wisconsin in the Final Four.
When the Suns selected him with the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, many were shocked. Despite that, he caught the eye of the late and great, Kobe Bryant. The two played against each other for only one season, but Bryant knew that Booker would be special. For instance, Booker surpassed Bryant for the most 25+ point quarters in league history last season.
Since his rookie year, he’s never averaged under 22 points per game. Meanwhile, he was on losing teams, and opposing teams were consistently double-teaming him. However, he had his first taste of winning, and the world saw how good he was. Booker helped the Suns to their first NBA Finals in 28 years. Although they came up short, the potential was and still is there.
Devin Booker embodies the Suns
When he arrived in Phoenix, the fanbase was looking for someone to represent them. That’s when Booker comes in. After being a one-and-done with Kentucky, he proved that he didn’t need more years of college. His confidence, swagger, and clutch ability were all natural. However, his overall game needed some work.
Booker was and is a natural scorer. Still, elements of his game, like playmaking and defense, needed some improvement. Over the years, he’s made those improvements. When Chris Paul signed with the Suns, he helped take Booker’s playmaking to the next level. Since Paul’s departure, he’s maintained the playmaking and has even periodically been the de-facto point guard.
Not to mention, Paul helped Booker be a leader, on the court. As a result, it’s helped him and his teammates be more accountable. For example, Booker issued a firm demand to the Suns after an upset loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Although they were on a back-to-back, he isn’t one for excuses.
He’s established that standard since he came to the team and since they made the finals. Booker knows what the expectation is to win. Although the record is worthy of celebrating, he knows that celebrating with an NBA championship is even better. Booker will likely celebrate the accomplishment but get right back to work for the second half of the season.
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